Question about proof of residency!

[duster01]

Hi All, I have a question that I hope someone can give me a definitive answer to!

I am a Legal Permanent Resident of the US, residing in FL. I have a driving license and a FL CWP.

Once I obtained my CWP, I bought a handgun and for proof of residency I showed three months of bank statements from three different banks, three months of Geico statements in my and my wife's joint names and three months of Direct TV statements.

(We do not have any electric or water bills in our names as we "rent" the house we are in from a friend who has the utilities in his name; now do we have a lease agreement)

No problem, the back ground check call took a little longer as I am not a USC, but all checked out and I walked out with my gun.

Just last week I decided to purchase a 12 gauge shotgun so went to a different store and selected the gun and filled out the forms, showed more or less the same residence statements that I had before, my FL driving licence, my FL CWP and my LPR card.

As it was late in the evening and the call back from the ATF didn't happen before the store closed, I said that I would return the next day.

When I turned up, I was told that the sales clerk had made a mistake and that they could not accept my documents, they needed electric and/or water bills in my name. I explained that I did not have them and that surely a three months of statements from a federally backed banking institution should be OK, never mind the Direct TV stuff.

There response was that the water and electric would tie me to the property and that just having bank statements sent to an address was not proof that I lived there.

I pointed out that having electric and/or water bills sent to my address was equally not any proof that I actually lived there but they stood their ground and I walked away.

Checking the ATF regulations, its seems to indicate that proof of residency can be shown by using documents "such as" utility bills - (I think the wording is like that). Anyway, it seems that the ATF are a little vague in saying "such as" - the requirements do not seem to specify that electric and gas bills are the only documents that are acceptable!

Sorry for the long winded posting; I would be grateful for any thoughts that anyone might have.

 

[deadin]

The seller has every right to dictate what kind of proof of residency they will accept. What the seller in question has done is cost themselves a sale. It's their loss. Just go elsewhere where the store is more reasonable.
One other suggestion, I didn't see where you mentioned a Florida drivers license. Getting one would go a long way in solving your apparent problem.

 

[duster01]

Thanks for your response - I checked back to see that I had mentioned that I do indeed have a FL driving license - that might have not been apparent because of the length of my posting!

I said that the retailer in question would be losing a sale; their response was that a sale was not worth being prosecuted should ATF perform an audit - clearly they were not going to change what it now seems is their "company policy", not a matter of law. I can respect their company policy but not when it is being sold to me as a matter of Federal Law.

As you say, find another dealer!

Thanks again.

 

[everallm]

I live in NJ and am also a GC'er which is waaaaaayyyyyy more anal.......Go elsewhere an "vote" with your dollars

 

[NavyLCDR]

Just go to a different store. Different stores will have their own requirements.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Thats all wrong. I own rental property and not one of my tenants could show a electric or water bill in their name. I pay them as part of the rent.
The FL DS is plenty.

 

[ChaoSS]

The law is often unclear on these kinds of things, and the stores have an obligation to protect themselves.

While nothing short of video of you living there for a few months can actually prove residency, have utilities registered in your name somewhere goes a long way. You don't have cable TV, phone lines, internet service, anything like that?

 

[Art Eatman]

The actual law is on Duster's side; the store policy is not. And, unfortunately, this forum isn't about private-sector policies.